Heart and Shield
by Beautiful Thief
Summary: A non-chronological collection of assorted drabbles and ficlets based within the continuity of my SAO AU
1. Birthday

I wanted to do something for Kise's birthday, but I've been sick this week. So I wrote something for Rapidity-verse, since I always said I was going to expand on it and then never did.

This chapter doesn't contain any spoilers for Sword Art Online!

* * *

Ryouta was woken to the sound of his phone chirping and buzzing, and he was wide awake in an instant.

Mostly, it was messages from some of his new schoolmates, though there was also, he found while going through them, a text from Kurokocchi, which he gave a personal response to, rather than a mass thank you text. Messages from the old Kaijou team, and the rest of the Miracles, and Kagamicchi, would probably filter through with other schoolmates messages for the rest of the day; but anyone who'd spent any time with him in the last week or so would know how Ryouta was spending his day.

It was their first occasion since their escape, after all, and Aida-san had okayed them both for it, though she'd been much more reluctant on giving Ryouta the all clear than Aominecchi.

But she'd given it, and that was all that mattered.

Ryouta pulled the blankets off and hummed cheerfully, phone in hand as he wandered towards the kitchen. Although his cooking skills could probably never be described as amazing, he could do enough to get himself by, and he was quite glad to be home where he actually _could_ make himself breakfast.

The best part of today is that they don't even have school today – while it's nice, the normality of classes, and getting to spend the day sitting in a seat next to Aominecchi to periodically poke him awake to remind him they need to get into university to play university level basketball and get scouted, school on your birthday still _sucks_, and since he's become something of the face of the SAO incident (it was easy to put himself out there as the face of it, once he'd spoken a little with Yuukicchi and the others, and take the pressure off the other kids; Ryouta's been managing a public life and image for years, making him the ideal spokesperson), he's just as popular as he's always been – his modelling career has picked back up too.

His parents and sisters were working, but that was okay – his mother had left food for him, so he wouldn't have to make himself breakfast, which was nice. His plans with Aominecchi were to meet at the old park court near Teikou around eleven, which gave Aominecchi a little time to sleep in. He always _was_ a little extra grumpy when he had to get up early, so even though it was his birthday, he was letting Aominecchi sleep a little late.

Finally, _finally_ it was time to head out, and Ryouta couldn't help the excited jitters that coursed through him as he walked towards the basketball court.

Unexpectedly, Aominecchi was already there, and Ryouta had to take a moment to watch as, graceful and smooth and completely ridiculous as ever, he launched the ball at the hoop, and it fell neatly in.

Aominecchi saw him as he turned from fetching the ball, and he scowled. "What are you doing just _standing_ there?"

"Mean," Ryouta whined. "It's my birthday you know, you could be nicer."

Aominecchi flushed and looked away – ah, he was so awkward sometimes, it was pretty adorable. Ryouta leaned over to kiss his cheek, which would certainly not make that fluster any _better_, but it would appease him for Aominecchi's gruff meanness.

"Happy birthday, Kise," Aomine mumbled, and _oh_. Ryouta couldn't help the smile that broke out on his face.

"Come on, you have two years worth of birthday games to play with me!" Ryouta cheered, bouncing onto the court.

Aomine laughed, and threw the ball at him.


	2. Nightmares

Watching SAO II makes me want to write Heart and Shield pieces, so... I did.

* * *

Daiki woke with a shuddering breath.

Behind his eyes, all he could see was Kise, Kise's eyes wide and terrified as his form shuddered and burst into a shower of blue and green light.

_Just a dream_.

He blamed the counsellors, at that goddamn survivor school, who insisted on making them talk about their time spent in the game. He was fine. He'd had a few nightmares, every now and again, while Kise was still trapped (while Kise was being _experimented_ on), mostly of waking to the call that Kise's brain had finally been fried by the device on his head, or that his body had finally given in under the strain of continuing to live on what little nourishment could be directly imparted into his body, but he hadn't had any since Kise had finally woken up - until now.

Back in the death game, he had compulsively checked that Kise was still alive by checking his friend list. And when he'd had nightmares of Kise's death after it, he'd always gone to visit him first thing in the morning after lying awake for hours, unable to feel settled until he was sure that he was still breathing.

Tonight, he had something different.

He reached blindly for his phone, where he had left it earlier after Kise had sent his last message for the evening, wishing him goodnight, and squinted against the bright glare of the screen. He didn't have Kise's new number memorised; but then he'd never memorised the old one, either. He opened up the last message that had been sent to him, and hit the call button.

It rung for a few long, uncomfortable moments and then he heard the rustling noises of the phone being picked up.

"Hello?"

Kise's voice was rough and low; of course, he'd been sleeping, like Daiki had been before his nightmare woke him. He let go of the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.

"Kise."

He heard the rustle of movement on sheets, and assumed Kise was sitting up. "Aominecchi? What's wrong?"

"I just... needed to hear you."

He'd never told Kise about his need to reassure himself of his continued survival, but when Kise made an understanding noise, he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he hadn't been the only one who'd checked that list every day between the time they parted and the day they re-joined each other.

"Counsellors, huh?" Kise asked. "You had a session with them today."

"Yeah."

"It's just a coincidence."

"Sure it is."

"You probably needed to see counsellors before we got trapped," Kise teased, and Daiki growled.

"Fuck off."

"_You_ called _me_," Kise complained, and there was that whining note to his voice that always grated on Daiki's nerves, even as hearing the familiar tone settled him.

Daiki sighed, shifting to lie on his side with the phone under his head. "Yeah. Sorry."

"It's okay, as long as I'm allowed to return the favour." He heard a thumping noise, and was fairly sure Kise had collapsed back on his bed. "It's weird sometimes. I wake up expecting you to be there next to me, and you're not."

Kise liked to say embarrassing things, but the darkness of the early morning made their hushed phone conversation feel safer and more secret, and made Daiki not feel as flustered as usual. Or maybe that's the tiredness seeping back in.

"Yeah," he agreed. "You should stay over some time."

"Come stay with me on Tuesday. I have my counselling session that afternoon. Maybe we can prevent the nightmares in the first place."

Daiki hummed. Now that the irrational panic of the dream had faded into the calming sounds of Kise's voice and Kise's breathing, he was starting to feel sleepy again.

"Aominecchi?"

"Yeah," he mumbled. "Can you stay on the phone until I fall back asleep?"

He heard Kise's breathy laugh, and then the sounds of him shifting in bed. "Sure, Aominecchi. I might fall asleep first, though."

"That's okay. It's my phone call, my phone bill."

Kise laughed again. "That's true."


End file.
